Val and her littermates were born with unfortunate defects caused by accidental inbreeding, Valkyrie's particular problem being a spinal defect which made her ineligible for riding. Though she was an exceptionally pretty pup very few had much hope of her ever being useful to the military or alchemists. For her part Val was intensely ambitious and determined to be useful somehow, culminating ultimately in her constantly pushing her body to the limits of what it was capable of in order to try and overcome her deformity by the sheer force of her will. One day as a group of state alchemists passed through, their medic happened to stumble upon Valkyrie and fall completely in love with her fighting spirit. Needless to say, Val was taken under the wing of the medic and trained to carry a medical cart full of supplies, her handler generally skiing beside her or else riding within the cart. Insofar as personality is concerned Val can generally be described as empathetic, driven, patient, and ambitious with a healthy smattering of perfectionism and a no-nonsense mentality while on the job. Flirtation is usually seen as a bit of an annoyance, but she has a weak spot for big strong males who respect her. Tall, dark, and handsome are pretty much her weak points.